


Consequences for your actions

by Itbelikethatsometimes



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Harley Keener & Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Harley Keener is a Good Bro, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Harley Keener's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25884193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itbelikethatsometimes/pseuds/Itbelikethatsometimes
Summary: He didn’t even care where he was going. He just had to get out. About two hours ago he had found himself instinctively grabbing his emergency go bag from under his bed and running out the front door before he could be spotted. Before he could say goodbye to his sister. He got in the car that he hadn’t driven in two years and just floored it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OR: Harley keener is running from his past. He decides New York is the best place for him.OR: I love Harley and Peter as friends so I made a new fic exploring their friendship!*********IMPORTANT NOTE*********I am restarting this fic! I will no longer update this. I really am not proud of this fic so I'm restarting! Check my works for new chapters!
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok ok ok I know i have like 8 other unfinished works and I know I've been gone for months but quarantine has been really bad for my mental health. I just had to take some time for myself before I could keep writing. 
> 
> Anyway I really hope you enjoy!

Nothing felt better than the cold January wind that rushed through Harley’s hair as he barreled down the country roads. He drove with the top down even when it was only ten degrees out. If his whole face was numb with the cold he couldn’t feel the frozen tears escaping his eyes. 

He didn’t even care where he was going. He just had to get out. About two hours ago he had found himself instinctively grabbing his emergency go bag from under his bed and running out the front door before he could be spotted. Before he could say goodbye to his sister. He got in the car that he hadn’t driven in two years and just floored it. 

He drove for another hour before pulling over and checking his phone to see where he was and where he could possibly go. He was two hours away from Rosehill- his hometown- and 12 hours away from where he really wanted to go. He dropped his phone onto the passenger seat and rested his head on the steering wheel. He had no idea what he was doing. There was only one place in the whole world he knew and now he was running from it. His vision blurred as more tears spilled onto his face. 

He sighed and reached for his phone once again. He dialed Tony’s number and hesitated. He hadn’t called him in months. Tony had called him a few times but he never answered. Harley took a deep breath and hit the call button. It only took a few moments for and answer.

“Hey kid, thought you forgot about me,” Tony’s voice was always calm. I made Harley feel a little better to know he was always on the other side of the line. “Wait isn’t it like midnight over there?”

“Hey old man,” Harley said (trying to sound like he wasn’t crying on the side of the road). “Nah I was just wondering if you still got that spare bed for me. You didn’t give it to someone else while I was gone did ya?” It was surprisingly easy to sound normal over the phone for some reason. 

“What are you in New York?” Tony sounded shocked but not in a bad way. It made Harley feel a bit better.

“I may be in town…”

“Yeah kid, of course, I always have a bed for you,” He could hear Tony’s smile through the phone. It was contagious. Harley couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile.

“Ok, I’ll be over eventually. You know… Got stuff to do or whatever,” He drawled. He was way too good at masking his feelings. He couldn’t decide if it was a gift or a curse.

“Alright kid, see you soon,” Tony said. Without another word, Harley hung up. He took a deep breath before starting the car again and speeding towards the nearest highway. It was easier to run away when you had somewhere to go. Especially when the place to go was around five states away. He decided if he drove all night without stopping, he would get there around noon. Hopefully Tony wouldn’t be busy when he got there.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter could feel the fire licking his arms and face. He didn’t care he just had to get them all out. He ran through the smoke and saw the group of civilians huddled under a desk. Just as he reached out his hand towards them, the ceiling collapsed and there wasn’t a desk in front of him. Instead, a pile of crumbling concrete and steel. Peter fell back. He could see more of the ceiling crumbling above him. He could hear yelling in his ear. Someone over his comms. He couldn’t understand them though. All he could hear was the roar of the flames. 

Peter stood and tried to run for a door or a staircase or a window. But, there was no escape in sight. He yelled for anyone before he felt the weight of the ceiling on his back. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t scream. He just lied on his stomach and gasped for any kind of oxygen. He shut his eyes tight and a loud groan escaped his lips. 

When he opened his eyes he was lying in bed. His whole body was drenched in sweat. He swallowed thickly before sliding his weighted blanket off his back and onto the floor. He was never more thankful that his room at the tower was soundproof. 

The sun was shining through his open window and he knew it had to be the early afternoon. So, Peter took his time in the shower and got dressed. He went to find Tony he had to be either in the lab or in the kitchen. The latter was true. 

There sat Tony on the counter with a cup of coffee. Peter was about to say hello but he spotted someone else. A guy was sitting at the breakfast bar eating a slice of pizza. His face was kinda beaten up and his hair was a mess. Peter froze. He had never seen this guy before. But he somehow looked like he fit in perfectly. Like Tony had brought him specifically to match the furniture. 

“Um…” was all Peter could manage to say. The two characters in the kitchen looked up. 

“Hey Peter,” Tony spoke up. “Thought you weren’t gonna wake up!”

“What’s uh,” Peter stuttered.

“Oh right. This is Harley Keener he’s visiting from Tenessee. Harley this is Peter Parker (My intern).”

“Hey,” Harley said before returning to his pizza. 

“Hi,” Peter said feeling very out of place.

“I was hoping you guys could keep each other company while I’m in meetings and stuff.”

“Yea... totally,” Harley mumbled into his food.

“Cool cuz I have a meeting in three minutes so,” Tony thought for a moment. “Peter! Why don’t you show Harley around the tower?”

“Sure?” Peter said as Tony strode towards his office. 

“Behave Harley!” He called behind him. Harley flipped him off and continued to eat. 

There were a few minutes where Peter had no idea what to say. Tony just dumped this random guy on him and expected them to hang out all day? The thought of having to spend all day with a total stranger made him a bit sick. So, he waited for Harley to make the first move while Peter just fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater trying to look anywhere but at the boy in front of him.

Harley put down the crust of his pizza and sighed. “You don’t have to give me the grand tour just cuz the old man told you to you know?” 

It was the first full sentence he’d heard Harley say. He had just the slightest accent. Peter had never heard an accent like that in real life. Just in movies. It took him a bit off guard. He opened his mouth but then closed it again.

“I’d rather just hang out in my room…” He still hadn’t looked up at Peter yet. He just stared at his plate. He finally looked up at Peter and gave him an I’m-trying-to-be-polite-but-I-really-just-want-you-to-leave look. Peter understood a little bit too late. But, he nodded and awkwardly left the room. He had no clue what Harley’s problem was. But, he knew there was no way he would be forced to hang out with that guy for a whole day. 

Peter just tried to forget about the whole thing and get some work done in the lab. He drowned out the thoughts of the previous interaction with the music he blasted through his headphones. He got straight to work on his homework and it was hard to focus on anything else for a short while. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harley decided to wander the halls of the tower. Most of the doors were locked. For some reason, he wasn’t surprised. Though, he felt he should’ve been. Some floors were entirely restricted to him. He would press a button on the elevator and FRIDAY would say something about “Avenger’s levels are off-limits to civilians.” As far as Harley knew there were no more Avengers. He decided it best not to ask Tony about those. 

He decided to hang out in the lab. Maybe he would take apart Tony’s blender and try to build a bomb. Or maybe he would “accidentally” light something on fire. He would figure it out when he got there. 

What he wasn’t expecting was Peter Parker. He was hunched over a table scribbling notes. Harley rolled his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Peter didn’t reply. He didn’t even look at him. 

“Hello?” Harley shouted. Still, Peter didn’t notice his presence. Harley noticed the headphones he was wearing. He rolled his eyes for maybe the 800th time that day and made his way over to Tony’s cars. He wanted to pop the hoods and take them apart (He would put them back together). But he decided against it. Instead, he settled on trying to build his own Dum-E model. He pulled out some blank Blue Print sheets and got to sketching. He wanted his model to be smaller so he could bring it home if he needed to. 

That’s when he remembered. He had no clue what would happen when he needed to go home. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and continued his work. Maybe he would give this robot to his sister. She would like that. Abbie always loved it when he built her stuff. 

A few moments went by and Harley heard Peter jump. Peter was holding his chest like he just got stabbed.

“You scared the shit out of me!” He said. “When did you even get there?”

“Like ten minutes…” Harley said a bit amused.

Peter took a deep breath and shoved whatever he was working on into his backpack. He swung it over his shoulder and moved for the door. He stopped as he was reaching for the door nob.

“So… What brings you to New York?” He asked awkwardly.

“I can’t remember when that became your business,” Harley replied without looking up from his work.

“Sorry, I just… Mr. Stark wants us to get along so I just-” 

“Why do you call him that?” Harley cut in.

“Call him what?”

“You call him Mr. Stark. But he talks about you like you’re his son…” 

“He what?” Peter was speechless.

“Oh come on… every time I call Tony he always talks about your grades and your work in the lab and…” He stopped himself before he could begin ranting.

“Uh,” Peter was still very confused. “It’s a respect thing I guess…” 

“Respect thing yea.” He said returning his attention to the blueprints.

Peter didn’t move. He was still trying to process what Harley had just said. 

‘He talks about me like I’m his son?’ he thought over and over.

“I thought you were leaving,” Harley said after a moment.

“Right,” Peter said finally exiting through the elevator. Harley groaned. He was suddenly extremely uninterested in the robot model. He crumpled up the blueprint and threw it into the garbage pale beside him. He let his head fall on the table. His swollen face felt better against the cold metal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The elevator doors opened and in stepped Mr. Stark joining Peter. 

“Is it home time for you already kid?” He asked checking his watch.

“Yea May wants me to help her at the homeless shelter tonight.”

“Have you seen Harley?” Mr. Stark quickly changed the subject.

“Uh, yea he’s in the lab.” 

“How’d he like the tour?”

“He loved it. I showed him all the best places.”

Mr. Stark nodded. A huge grin on his face. “You know this is the first time he’s visited, New York. I didn’t even know he was here until last night. I’m glad you two are getting along. I hope you’ll have a good influence on him. He’s a bit of a problem child.”

“Yeah well, I don’t think he likes me very much…” Peter answered.

“He’s just being Harley… He’s an ass you just gotta get used to him that’s all.”

Peter nodded but he definitely didn’t believe him. He just wanted the conversation to end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, you menace you fall asleep on the job?” Tony asked exiting the elevator into the lab.

“No, I died of boredom waiting for your old ass to get down here,” Harley definitely felt more relaxed once Peter was gone. It was just easier to be Tony and Harley. Not Tony, Harley, and Peter.

Tony chuckled and made his way over to his work station. He and Harley got to work on that old car he’d been working on for years. They worked in silence for a while before Tony broke it.

“Are you really not gonna explain the face?” 

“What?” Harley replied.

“That,” Tony tapped Harley’s bruised face gently with a pen.

“I told you we were playing dodgeball in class yesterday.”

“Your sister said you’ve been starting fights in school.”

“You called Abbie?” Harley put his wrench down and buried his face in his hands.

“Your mother didn’t know where you were. Why didn’t you tell her you were here?”

“You’re spying on me now?”

“Abbie was concerned.”

“Did you tell them I’m here?”

Tony hesitated.

“God Tony…”

“They’re coming to pick you up tomorrow,” He said looking anywhere but at Harley.

“What?”

“I couldn’t just let you drive all the way home.”

“The one time I think-”

“Give me a break!” It came out louder than he wanted it to.

Harley thought for a moment before standing up and walking out. He got into the elevator and went to the ground floor. He walked out of the tower and kept on walking. He didn’t stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter had been swinging around for a while now. The sun had set and snow was still falling. The street lights lit up the falling flakes. New York always looked magical in the winter. 

Peter would’ve been freezing if it weren’t for the heater in his suit. Mr. Stark really had thought of everything. 

He swung for a while before noticing a figure sitting on a nearby rooftop. Their legs were dangling over the edge and they were leaning against an air conditioning unit. Peter swung over to check it out. As he got closer he realized he recognized the figure.

Harley Keener was sitting on the roof of some random building. He looked like he was freezing. He was only wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans. Peter landed on the roof beside him.

“Are you cold?” He asked. His voice was disguised by Karen.

“Not really,” Harley replied. He looked up and saw Spider-Man. It wasn’t really the reaction Peter was used to. Harley just smirked and returned his attention to the skyline. “Aren’t you? Spandex doesn’t seem all that weather resistant.”

“There’s a heater in the suit.”

Harley nodded but didn’t respond.

“So what are you doing up here?” Peter asked sitting beside the boy.

“Not what you think,” Harley replied. “I’ve just never been in a city this big and Tony told me it looked better from the sky so.”

There was something different about Harley’s behavior. Peter couldn’t tell what it was.

“I had to see the city before I left,” Harley said with a sigh.

“When are you leaving?” Peter asked.

“Tomorrow.”

Peter hummed.

“I don’t want to go back though. I left for a reason now I’m just getting dragged back… I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

“It’s easy to trust someone who doesn’t have a face I guess,” Peter replied. He’d received a lot of confessions from strangers. It had become a common occurrence.  
“I should head back,” Harley said with a sigh. “I gotta pack…”

“Ok well, stay safe on your way back.” Peter rose and lept off the side of the building. He easily caught himself with a well-timed web and swung back into the night. He secretly hoped Harley would be able to stay. He seemed really upset about something. Whatever it was he hoped it got better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harley snuck back into the tower and began packing his stuff. He shoved whatever he could find back into his duffel bag and made his way to the garage. If he was going to leave he would leave on his terms. There was no way he was going to get into a car and drive 14 hours with them. He threw his bag into the back seat and climbed in. He put his key in the ignition and turned it. It didn’t start. 

There was no way it was broken he had fixed it up right before he left Rosehill. He hopped out and popped the hood. His ignition cable was gone. He slammed the hood closed. Tony… 

The elevator doors opened and in walked Tony. (Speak of the devil). 

“You think I’d let you leave like that?” He was holding the cable in his hands.

“Give me the cable,” Harley said. He didn’t dare look at Tony. 

“This is for your own good kid. I just want what’s best for you.”

“No! No, you don’t! If you did you wouldn’t be sending back to buttfuck nowhere! If you wanted what was best for me you wouldn’t have called Abbie!” He was shouting at the end of it. 

Tony looked shocked.

“Give me the cable. I want to leave,” It was barely a whisper.

“Kid…”

“Fuck this…” Harley said grabbing the bag from his backseat. He swung it over his shoulder and began walking out of the car park.

“Harley!” Tony followed him.

“I shouldn’t have called you. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Tony grabbed Harley’s shoulder. He shook it off instantly.

“Where are you going?” Tony asked.

“I don’t care!” And with that. Harley left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He didn’t care where he was going he just needed to get the hell out of the tower. He would go back for his car another day. 

He decided to just wander the streets for the night. It was better than damage control with Tony. And honestly, he’d rather get hypothermia than go back the Rosehill. 

He was wandering for about an hour before he heard something. He was walking down an empty street. He was passing an exceptionally sketchy alley when he heard a trash can fall over. He instantly froze. He looked down the dark alley and saw something moving. He couldn’t move for a moment even when he saw someone approaching him. He just stood petrified. 

“Harley?” The figure said as it walked closer.

Harley didn’t reply. He stood and waited for the figure to step into the light. He sighed in relief when he realized it was just Peter.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you in the tower?” Peter asked as Harley steadied his breathing.

“What were you doing in mugging central?” He said referring to the alley.

“I’m walking home. What are you doing?”

“I’m… Walking.”

Peter noticed the duffel bag he was carrying.

“You’re leaving?”

Harley didn’t answer.

“Where are you gonna go?”

Harley wasn’t sure how to answer so he just shook his head. They stood in silence for a moment before Peter spoke up.

“You wanna come stay with me tonight?” He asked. “May would kill me if I left you out here all night.”

Harley considered for a moment. But, it didn’t take long for him to decide.  
Peter took his duffel and they both walked to Peter’s apartment. 

The empty snow-covered streets reminded Harley of Rosehill. The buildings were just taller. 

The walk was silent except for the snow crunching beneath their feet. 

By the time they arrived at Peter’s apartment, Harley’s socks were completely soaked and he couldn’t stop shivering. Peter showed him to the bathroom and Harley too a warm shower. It felt amazing. He could feel himself thawing. When he got out of the shower he changed into the closest thing he had to pajamas and met with Peter in his room. 

“You can have top if you want,” Peter said casually.

“What?” Harley stuttered.

“Top bunk,” Peter pretended not to notice what he’d said. Harley nodded and climbed up onto his bunk. Peter had explained that his Aunt was already asleep so they would have to explain everything tomorrow. Harley didn’t want to think about what would happen tomorrow.

Peter climbed into bed and turned the light off. It took a while for either of them to fall asleep. Harley was just thinking about what he would do when he woke up. He thought that by staying awake he was prolonging the consequences of his actions.


	2. Chapter 2

When Harley woke up the next morning, Peter was still fast asleep in the bed beneath his. Harley slid off his bed and landed on the carpet with a small thud. Peter didn’t seem to hear. So, Harley snuck to the door and entered the main living space. 

There was a woman in the kitchen. She was beautiful. Her hair was long and chocolate coloured. She smiled without looking up.

“Hey hun how’d you sleep?” She said sweetly. Her voice echoed around Harley. It reminded him of his mom before...

“Fine,” Harley blurted out before his thoughts could get too intense.

The woman’s smile fell and she quickly turned to Harley. She stared at him for a moment speechless.

“You’re not Peter…” She said.

“Uhh no. He didn’t tell you I’m here did he?” 

“Peter?!” The woman shouted not letting her eyes leave Harley.

Peter groaned something from his room but it didn’t sound coherent.

“One second please,” She knocked on Peter’s door and opened it a crack. She whispered something that Harley couldn’t quite hear. He did hear the sudden thump and saw Peter run toward him. 

“Sorry you were asleep when we got back,” Peter said as the woman returned to her cooking. “May this is Harley he’s visiting from Tennessee.”

“Hi Harley,” May said abandoning her cooking once again. “How long are you staying?”

“Uh…” He thought for a moment not sure what to say. “I’m supposed to leave later today.”

It wasn’t a lie. He was supposed to leave that day. Whether he did or didn’t was still undecided.

“Oh well, I hope you had a great time here. You boys want some breakfast?”

“Yea thank’s May!” Peter said. He grabbed Harley’s arm and led him to the table. May placed two plates of pancakes down in front of them and sighed.

“I’m going to take a shower. I’m leaving for work in half an hour so you boys be careful and dinners in the freezer! She said most of it from her bedroom. “Have a safe flight home, Harley!” 

Harley gave her a fake smile and ate the rest of his breakfast in silence. May had left with a quick goodbye and Harley helped Peter with the dishes. They both ended up sitting on the couch unsure of what to talk about. Harley had no clue when he was supposed to go home or if he was supposed to return to the tower. 

“So are you driving back yourself?” Peter said after a while of silence.

“No, my mom and sister are coming to get me,” He replied curtly. He wished Peter would just change the subject.

“When are you leaving?”

“I don’t know…” Harley was internally screaming. It was so awkward. He just really wanted to talk about anything else. 

“Ok…” Peter dropped the subject. Almost as if he had read Harley’s mind. 

They sat in silence once again. The two of them just scrolled on their phones for a while before Peter got a call. He slowly raised the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Mr. Stark.”

Harley instinctually rolled his eyes. How did Tony know where he was at all times?

“Um…” Peter hesitated. “Yea he’s here with me.”

Harley sighed and let his head fall onto the arm of the couch. He listened to Peter’s side of the conversation.

“Is he going home today? Well, do you want me to bring him to the tower? I don’t think he wants that… I can walk with him. Ok, I’ll tell him…” Peter hung up the phone and sighed. “Tony wants to come pick you up.”

“No way,” Harley said sliding off the couch. 

“I offered to just walk with you but he said it’s too cold.”

“Did he say I’m going home today?”

“No, he said your mom isn’t getting here until tomorrow night.”

“Then I’m not driving back with Tony. Fuck that.”

“What are you gonna do then?”

“You wanna go get coffee? I’ll pay,” Harley said grabbing his coat. Peter didn’t move. “Let’s go!”

“Mr. Stark is on his way… We won’t be back in time.”

“Who cares?”

Peter slowly rose and donned his coat. Harley grabbed his phone and swung the door open. The two walked into the icy street and began towards the closest cafe. Harley couldn’t help looking around them to make sure Tony wouldn’t materialize behind them. He always knew exactly where Harley was somehow. But, he never saw anything weird. 

The cafe was tiny. Peter said something about going there as a kid. It was a nice place though. It didn’t seem to be the kind of place a kid would enjoy though. It was cozy and the chairs were leather. It looked like an old 1900’s house. 

Peter walked up to the counter and ordered their drinks while Harley chose a table near the back. The walls were surrounded by bookcases stuffed tightly with old books. Harley glanced around at them. He didn’t see any books he recognized though. 

After a few minutes, Peter returned with the drinks. Harley practically chugged his. He was so cold but the warm drink helped. 

Harley noticed Peter kept looking back at the door.

“What are you looking at?” Harley asked.

“Nothing I just… Thought I heard something,” His reply was weird. But, Harley decided to ignore it.

“You wanna play never have I ever?” Harley asked.

“Are we 13?”

“C’mon it’ll be fun!” 

“Fine…”

“I’ll start,” Harley said after another sip of his coffee. “Five fingers up Parker. Never have I ever been in a relationship.”

Peter laughed but didn’t put a finger down. “You’re starting with that?”

“Well, the plan was to hold back but I guess I won’t since you’re so confident.”

“Fine… Never have I ever been in a fight at school.”

Harley sighed and lowered one finger. “Never have I ever been expelled.”

“That’s all you could think of?” Peter laughed. Again all his fingers stayed put. “Never have I ever gotten drunk.”

Harley lowered another finger. “I don’t believe you but fine. Never have I ever snuck out more than once a week.”

Peter lowered his first finger. 

“What? But you’ve never been drunk? What are you sneaking out for?” 

“Stuff…” Peter really didn’t want to reveal his secret to Harley. “Never have I ever been high.”

“You’re lying! What are you sneaking out for then?” Harley said after lowering his third finger.

“Your turn,” Peter said instead.

Harley rolled his eyes. “Never have I ever failed a class.”

Peter shook his head. “Never have I ever had my first kiss.”

“Shut the fuck up! You’re lying!” Harley laughed and lowered another finger. He only had one left. “Never have I ever been to the hospital.”

Peter lowered another finger. “I broke my leg as a kid. Never have I ever been to a party,” He didn’t count Liz’s party since he’d only been there for a few minutes.

Harley lowered his final finger with a groan. “You got a boring life, Parker.”

Peter laughed “Yea you’s be surprised…”

Harley didn’t seem to hear him. They both finished their drinks in silence before beheading out. Peter insisted on taking a “short cut” back to his place. Harley didn’t argue. His nose was red just moments after they left the cafe. After a few minutes of walking, Harley recognized the street they were on. They were walking away from Peter’s house and towards the tower. Harley stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” Peter asked.

“You’re bringing me back the tower?”

“No, it’s a short cut…”

“You are such a snitch you know that?”

“Mr. Stark was worried about you so I called him last night and-”

“You called him? You know you’re exactly like him. You both just love to snitch on me huh?”

“Harley… Why don’t you wanna go home?”

“You know what? I do want to. I’d love to be 14 hours away from both of you.” He said before continuing down the street without Peter. But, he stopped. “Tony got my stuff from your house didn’t he…”

“Uh… yea he did.”

Harley rolled his eyes and carried on walking. He knew Peter was a little ways behind him. But he was definitely following him. Harley just pretended to not notice. He was beyond annoyed at their efforts to send him home. But, even Harley could tell when he wasn’t wanted. When he got back to the tower, he checked under the hood of his car. Tony had put the ignition cable was back. He didn’t even care he would’ve just stolen one from one of the other cars in the garage. He shut the hood and went looking for his stuff. If Tony had gotten it while they were gone it must’ve been somewhere close.

He entered the elevator and went up to the penthouse. His plan was simple. Get his stuff, get out, don’t be seen. Stealth was key. 

Unfortunately, all that was thrown out the window when the elevator doors opened. There sat Tony on the couch next to Harley’s duffel bag. Harley groaned and left the elevator defeated. 

“I’m going home you don’t have to force me,” Harley said plopping onto the couch next to his bag.

“I’m not forcing you to go home Harley,” Tony replied. “Your mom is worried about you. She said you left in the middle of the night without leaving a note. She thought you were dead.”

“Yeah well, I’m not… I don’t see why I have to go home when she knows I’m here.”

“You have a life in Rosehill. What about school? And your friends?”

“Honestly none of those things are very high on my list of priorities…” Harley didn’t want to explain himself. He didn’t want Tony’s pity.

“I’m not your legal guardian. I would let you stay if I could kid. But your mom needs you right now.”  
“She always needs me! She needs me to clean up after, her and take care of Abbie…” Harley stopped talking. He knew if he said any more he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Kid, I need you to tell me what’s going on. Why’d you leave in the first place?”

Harley shook his head. 

“I’m not letting you go home until you tell me.”

“Mom’s been in and out of rehab,” Harley’s voice cracked. “So I’ve been taking care of Abbie…”

“Why’d you leave?”

“I was tired of being in charge. I know it’s selfish but I just wanted to have time for myself… I was overwhelmed I guess…”

“Is that everything?” Tony asked. Though he knew it was unlikely he would get the truth.

Harley nodded. 

“Okay… And what about that?” He asked pointing at Harley’s swollen eye.

“Got in a fight at school.”

Tony nodded. “I want you to call me if anything gets out of hand. If your mom goes back to rehab or you get overwhelmed okay?”

Harley nodded again. “Yeah, I will.”

“Pinky promise?” Tony said in a baby voice.

“Shut up old man,” Harley laughed sincerely for the first time in a while. 

“Pizza?” Tony asked rising from the couch.

“Sure but you’re buying.”

The two retreated to the lab for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until FRIDAY told them Harley’s mom was there that they finally left. 

Harley got his winter gear on and grabbed his bag. He begrudgingly hugged Tony and hopped into his car. At least he got to drive home alone. His mom and sister were following him in his mom’s car. He was glad he could escape the lecture during the 14-hour car ride home. When he got home though, he would have to face the worst of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: abuse and violence.
> 
> So this chapter was hard to write but I hope you enjoy it.

Harley turned the car off and took a deep breath. He knew his mom was in the driveway right behind him. He grabbed his bag and stepped out of the car. He swung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door. He wanted to just get inside before his mom had the chance to lecture him. But, his attempt failed. Standing in the doorway with crossed arms was his mother’s new boyfriend John. Harley stopped in front of the door. He stared at the ground.

“Excuse me…” He said quietly.

“I think your mother has something to say to you,” John said back not moving. 

Harley rolled his eyes and went to face his mother. Before he could make it two steps, John grabbed Harley’s coat and pulled him back to stand in front of him.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me boy?” He asked.

Harley didn’t answer. He just stared at the ground.

“You come to my house and disrespect me. And then think you can just leave? Now go tell your mother how sorry you are for making her drive two days to get your ungrateful ass.”

He released Harley’s coat and walked back into the house. Harley sighed and approached his mom. 

“I’m sorry for making you drive all the way to New York.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Harley.” She replied. “What were you thinking? What if you had crashed? Or gotten lost? You need to stop and think before you do something like that. You’re reckless.”

Harley nodded.

“You’re grounded for… A long time. Now go to bed. You have school tomorrow.”

Harley turned and entered the house. It smelled like weed and old booze. His mom must’ve been drinking again… Instead of idling in the living room, he walked up to his bedroom and dropped his bag. He flopped onto his tiny bed and closed his eyes. He only opened them when he heard his door creak open. He sat up to see his younger sister Abbie. He sat up on the bed and she sat beside him. 

“Are you ok?” She asked. Though she was 13, Harley still saw her as a kid. 

“Yea…” Harley replied.

“Where’d you go?” 

“New York. I saw Tony again. I reminded him about your Dora watch. He still owes you,” Even when Abbie was trying to cheer him up. He found he tried to cheer her up as well. Still, Abbie giggled. 

“I’m sorry you had to come back… I know you would’ve loved to stay in New York.”

“Nah New York sucked. I’d rather hang out with you Abs.” 

Abbie grinned and hugged him tightly. They talked a bit about the city and how he met spider-man. Harley made sure to leave the arguing with Tony and staying with Peter out. Abbie seemed satisfied with what little he told her. Harley was going to ask her about mom until the bedroom door opened. John was once again standing with his arms crossed.

“I thought you had school tomorrow. And I heard your mom say something about going to sleep.” He said condescendingly.

“Sorry John,” Abbie said quietly. “It was my fault.”

“I doubt that,” He said gruffly as she returned to her room. “Nancy! Where’s my beer?”

“I’m coming,” Harley’s mom replied from the kitchen. She walked over and handed an open can of cheap beer into John’s hand. 

“There ya go,” He said and smacked her ass. 

“Dude,” Harley said. “That’s my mom. Show some respect.”

“You wanna talk to me about respect? After that bullshit, you just pulled. You should be glad to even be allowed back in this house.”

“You’re disgusting,” Harley said shutting his door.

The door busted open a second later. John pushed Harley to the wall and leaned close to him.

“You wanna say that to my face?” Harley could smell the booze on his breath.

“I said you’re fucking disgusting,” Harley repeated against his better judgment.

“You listen to me,” John said grabbing a fistful of Harley’s hair. “If you don’t change your attitude I’m throwing you out. Now… You’re going to shut the fuck up and stay in your room.”

Harley didn’t answer. He just tried to keep his breathing steady. 

“Do you understand?” John asked.  
Harley couldn’t nod since John was holding his hair. “Yes,” He replied. He hated that his voice cracked.

John laughed and shoved Harley’s head away. He turned off the light and slammed the door behind him. Harley slid his back down the wall and buried his face in his hands. He had almost forgotten how much of an asshole John was while in New York.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter awoke to his phone vibrating loudly. It wasn’t his alarm though. He had a text from an unknown number. He rolled onto his side and checked it.

UNKNOWN NUMBER  
Unknown: Hey Parker guess what?  
Peter: Who’s this?  
Unknown: It’s Harley duh  
Peter: How’d you get my number?  
Harley: The internet is a scary place  
You should be more careful with your personal information  
Now guess what  
Peter: What?  
Harley: My teacher just left me alone in the mechanics room  
Peter: What does this have to do with me?  
Harley: I’m so glad you’re excited for me  
It means I can “borrow” their box of electromagnets  
I’m gonna make some weird shit  
Peter: Great?  
Harley: Do you always reply with a question?  
Peter: No?  
I mean no  
Harley: Uhuh sure…  
Anyway I’m gonna make a bomb :)  
Peter: ???  
What?  
Harley: God I was kidding relax  
I’m gonna build a motorcycle ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter had no clue how Harley found his number. And honestly, he didn’t really want to know. He was just glad Harley was ok to talk to him after what happened the week before. He felt awful for telling Mr. Stark where they were. Though, everything did turn out well. So far… 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Harley got home from school and cautiously opened the front door. There was no sign of anyone being home. He ended up in the garage and began working with his “borrowed” materials from the mechanics room. He spent a few hours on the engine before he heard the front door open. He heard a bunch of voices and footsteps. John was having a poker party. Harley rolled his eyes and continued working for a bit.

He was interrupted when his mom walked in. 

“What are you doing in here?” She asked.

“Just working on school stuff…” Harley lied.

“You better stay in here for a while then. John has some friends over.”

Harley nodded and returned to his project. His mom moved to the minifridge and pulled out a few beers. 

“What’s takin so long Nancy?” John called entering the garage. “What are you doing?” He asked Harley.

“School stuff,” Harley repeated. 

John rolled his eyes and turned to Nancy.

“What’s taking so long?” He asked

“I was just talking to Harley,” She answered.

“Stop distracting her ok? Can’t you see she’s servicing me and my friends?” He asked Harley.

“Don’t talk about my mom like that. She’s not your maid.” Harley said. Again against his better judgment.

“You’re on thin ice kid. One more word and we’ll have a problem.”

Harley chose to keep his mouth shut for once. 

“Pain in my ass,” John said on his way out. The door shut behind him and Nancy. Harley flipped him off through the door and continued on the engine. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harley walked to school on Tuesday. He didn’t want to have to deal with John driving him there. John didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t exactly jump for joy when he had to drive them to school. 

Once he got to school, he went straight to his locker. He hated most of the kids at his school. They all thought he was a loser. He kinda was. He didn’t have any friends and he didn’t go to any after school activities. He preferred being a loser though. He liked being alone in the garage. 

Most of his day was normal. He went to class and ate lunch alone in the mechanics room. He felt most at peace when surrounded by tech. Sure, the tech was all old and outdated but, it worked none the less. 

After lunch, Harley was on his way to math class when he saw a group of basketball players walking towards him. He rolled his eyes and pretended he didn’t see them.

“Hey, Keener!” One of them shouted mockingly. “Your fatass mom still in rehab?”

Harley attempted to walk past them. But, they purposely blocked his path.

“Excuse me,” Harley said staring at the ground. The group just laughed.

“You gotten expelled yet? I heard you skipped town this weekend but mommy had to go pick you up.” One of them said in a baby voice.

Harley steadied his breathing and tried to relax his clenched fists.

“Why’d you leave? You had to go visit your boyfriend in Canada?” Another shouted and they all roared with laughter. 

Harley lost it. He tackled the dude and tried to punch him. But, he was pulled off instantly and thrown against the lockers. It was him against half the basketball team. 

One of them grabbed him by the backpack and held him while another punched him in the stomach. Harley coughed and fell to his knees. He stood and got one good punch in once he regained his breath. But, there were too many of them. He was quickly surrounded. One of the players approached him. He grabbed Harley by the shirt and punched him square in the face. 

Harley was dazed and the player shoved him to the ground. He landed on his hands and knees. Another player kicked him in the stomach. Harley fell on his back and tried to regain his breath. There was a shout and everyone scattered. Everyone but Harley who was still trying to catch his breath. 

Next thing he knew he was sitting in the principles office waiting for his mom. After about 20 minutes, the office door opened and John walked in. Harley swore under his breath. John talked to the principle and emerged after another 10 minutes. Harley followed him to the car. They both got in and Harley sat quietly during the ride home. 

When they pulled into the driveway, Harley got out of the car quickly and made for the house. John followed him close behind. Once they were inside. Harley made a run for his bedroom. John just reached over and grabbed him by the backpack. Harley was yanked back towards him. 

“You just got expelled,” John said. He was seething. Harley wanted to be anywhere but there. 

“It wasn’t my fault,” Harley said quietly.

“How is tackling a kid, not your fault?” John roared.

Harley shut his eyes. He wanted to grab his go bag and get the hell out of there. 

“Where’s my mom?” Harley asked.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is your disrespect for rules.” 

Harley ripped his backpack from John’s grip and ran up the stairs. John shouted after him. He went straight to his mom’s bedroom. It was empty. Footsteps thundered behind him. He turned just in time to see John grab his arm. He slammed him against the wall and held his arm tightly against Harley’s back in a police hold. 

Harley shouted and struggled to free himself.

“You’re mom’s not here,” John said.

“Get the fuck off!” Harley screamed.

John didn’t budge. “You need to learn some respect kid.”

Harley pushed off the wall and spun around. John still had a tight grip against his arm though. He twisted it outward. Harley shouted and punched at John’s arm. He didn’t even flinch. He used his free hand to grab a fistful of Harley’s hair. 

“You’re in my house boy! You’ll listen to me!” He shouted. He shoved Harley into the wall. Harley hit it hard and slid to the floor.

John scoffed and thumped out of the room. 

“Asshole!” Harley shouted after him. He instantly regretted it. John immediately returned to the room and grabbed Harley by the collar. 

“You wanna get kicked to the streets boy? You want me to kick your ass?” He roared.

“Stop!” A voice shouted from the hallway.

Harley looked over to see Abbie staring in horror at the two of them. 

“Stay the fuck out of this,” John said not releasing Harley from his grip.

“Please leave him alone!” Abbie cried.

“He’s getting what he deserves.” 

Harley put a brave face on for Abbie’s sake. He really wished he hadn’t said anything. 

“You gonna keep your mouth shut boy?” John asked.

Harley nodded. But, that wasn’t enough for John.

“Are you?” He roared.

“Yes,” Harley said.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes sir,” Harley hated how his voice trembled.

John shoved him away and stormed out. Abbie jumped out of John’s way. Harley waited until he heard the TV turn on before leaving for the only room with a lock. The bathroom. He shut the door quietly and locked it. He sat on the floor and curled in on himself. He couldn’t hold the tears back. He couldn’t do anything right. He had nothing left in Tennesse. He pulled his phone out of his bag. The screen had a large crack down the centre from when he was thrown into the wall. He dialed Tony’s number and waited for him to answer.

“Hey kid what’s up?” He asked.

“Um…” Harley hadn’t planned what to say.

“Is something up?” The concern in his voice grew.

“Shit…” Harley whispered. “Yea I… I got expelled.”

“Harley…” Tony sighed. “Did you get in a fight at school?”

Harley couldn’t answer.

“Now what?” Tony asked. “You want me to smooth talk the principle? Get you back in?”

“I can’t. I can’t stay here…” Harley said.

“Harley you know I can’t let you run away again. You have a life there.”

“I’m not safe here.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked.

“I can’t tell you now…”

“Harley, what’s going on? Is your mom back in rehab?” 

“I don’t know I-” Harley was interrupted by John pounding on the door. Harley gasped at the sound.

“What was that?” Tony asked.

Harley didn’t answer. He just stared at the door.

“Who are you talking to?” John shouted. 

Again Harley stayed silent. 

“Don’t make me break this door down!” John yelled.

“I’m not talking to anyone…” Harley lied.

It was silent for a minute other than Tony’s voice over the phone.

Harley knew John was listening at the door. He didn’t dare try to speak to Tony. Instead, he opened the window and crawled out onto the roof. 

“Kid I swear If you don’t answer I’m calling the cops,” Tony said.

“I’m here,” Harley whispered.

“What’s going on?”

“I need to get out of here.”

“Ok, I’m coming to get you. Do you have anywhere you can go? A friend’s house?”

“No.”

“Ok just stay there. Stay safe. Whatever it takes just stay safe. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Call me if anything goes south. I’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you.”

Harley quietly crawled through the window and back into the bathroom. He froze when he saw the door wide open. John stood with his arms crossed again. 

“I’m going to ask you once. Who were you talking to?”

“No one,” Apparently that was the wrong answer. John charged forward and wrestled Harley’s phone from his hands. He tried to check the previous call but couldn’t unlock the phone. So, he stuffed the phone into his pocket. 

“If they call back I’ll have a nice long chat with them,” John smirked.

Harley kept his mouth shut. 

“Now go to your room. I don’t want to hear from you for the rest of the night.”

Harley walked back to his room and sat on his bed. He hoped he could keep John calm for the next 14 hours.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another one WOOO! Ok, so I really wanted to finish this portion of the story cuz I wanted to get back to Peter and Harley's relationship so sorry if it's a bit rushed.

Peter and Tony had been in the lab for a few hours. They were working on the suit. Peter had gotten a few holes in it. So, they were trying to find a way to make it more fire-resistant.

ACDC was playing quietly throughout the lab. But, it faded into background noise for Peter. He was focused on his Stark tablet. He was looking for fire-resistant materials thin enough to use in his suit. He hadn’t found anything useful yet.

Tony’s phone began ringing. He instantly dropped what he was doing and checked the caller ID. He swore under his breath and answered. 

“Hey kid what’s up?” He asked. Peter listened to the other line with his advanced hearing.

“Um…” Peter instantly recognized the voice. It was Harley.

“Is something up?” Mr. Stark sounded concerned.

“Shit…” Harley whispered. “Yea I… I got expelled.”

Peter pretended to scroll on the stark tablet.

“Harley…” Mr. Stark sighed. “Did you get in a fight at school?”

Silence.

“Now what?” Mr. Stark asked. “You want me to smooth talk the principle? Get you back in?”

“I can’t. I can’t stay here…” Harley said.

“Harley you know I can’t let you run away again. You have a life there.”

“I’m not safe here.”

“What do you mean?” Mr. Stark asked.

“I can’t tell you now…”

“Harley, what’s going on? Is your mom back in rehab?” 

Peter was shocked at that. He had no clue what was happening back in Tennesse. That was probably why Harley didn’t want to go home. A pit formed in Peter’s stomach.

“I don’t know I-” Harley went silent and there was a loud banging. Harley gasped.

“What was that?” Tony asked.

Silence. Someone shouted. But, Peter couldn’t understand what they said. 

“Kid, what’s happening?” Mr. Stark asked.

There was another shout.

“I’m not talking to anyone…” Harley said.

Mr. Stark kept asking questions. But, the other line was silent.

“Kid I swear If you don’t answer I’m calling the cops,” Mr. Stark threatened

“I’m here,” Harley whispered.

“What’s going on?”

“I need to get out of here.”

“Ok, I’m coming to get you. Do you have anywhere you can go? A friend’s house?”

“No.”

“Ok just stay there. Stay safe. Whatever it takes just stay safe. Ok?”

“Ok.”

“Call me if anything goes south. I’ll be there soon.”

“Thank you.”

Mr. Stark hung up and sighed. “You heard all of that?”

“I’m coming with you,” Peter said.

“You have school tomorrow…”

“I don’t care. I want to help.”

Mr. Stark thought for a while before giving in. “You can come but I’m not dealing with the wrath of your aunt.” 

“Deal!” Peter said and grabbed his stuff. He sent May a text about the situation and the two got into the car. Tony drove a bit too fast. But, Peter was fine with it. They had a 14-hour drive and they needed to get to Rosehill as fast as possible.

Tony didn’t talk much during the drive. He looked nervous. After a few hours, Peter suggested they call and check on Harley. He hoped it would calm Mr. Stark to know Harley was doing ok. Mr. Stark agreed and Peter dialed Harley.

It rang a few times before a voice answered. It wasn’t Harley though.

“Who the fuck is this?” The voice asked. 

“Uh, do I have the wrong number? Is this Harley’s phone?” Peter asked.

“This is Harley’s phone. Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Peter… Can you put Harley on please?”

“Who is that?” Mr. Stark whispered.

Peter shrugged.

“How do you know Harley?” The man asked.

“Who is this?” Peter asked nervously.

“Listen to me. If you call this number again, I’ll track you down and kick your ass. Understand?”

“Wait-” Peter was cut off. The man hung up. 

Mr. Stark’s breathing suddenly got very fast.

“Hey hey hey,” Peter said. “It’s ok don’t panic!”

“A little late for that…” Tony suddenly gasped and slammed on the breaks. They skidded to a stop and Tony began taking labored breaths. He opened the car door and slid out. He leaned against the car and sat on the snow. Peter jumped out of the car and ran to his side. 

“Hey breathe,” Peter said. “We can handle this we just need to think.”

Tony shook his head. 

“He has a Stark phone, right? You got him one for his birthday.”  
Tony nodded.

“We can track it then. We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

Tony caught his breath. He was having major Deja Vous. 

“Thanks, kid…” He said after a moment. They both climbed back into the car and began tracking his phone. It was in a house in Rosehill. They took off driving again. A bit slower now that Tony had calmed down slightly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harley had begun doing his homework even though he had been expelled. He just needed to waste time until Tony got there. He was halfway through his English essay when he heard John shouting in the living room. He tried to ignore it and continue. The shouting stopped suddenly and Harley heard footsteps towards his bedroom. He continued to write his essay despite his shaking hands. 

John opened the door and crossed his arms.

“Who the hell is Peter?” He asked. “Is that who you were talking to?”

“I don’t know a Peter,” Harley lied.

“He seems to know you.”

“It was probably a wrong number…”

“Cut the bullshit boy! Who is Peter?”

“I don’t know…”

John sighed. “ You’re not leaving this room until you tell me who you were talking to.”

Harley didn’t respond. He just stared at his half-written essay. 

“I can wait all night,” John said.

“Peter is a friend of mine from school,” Abbie said from the hallway. “I told him Harley could help him with his tech homework…”

John rolled his eyes and returned to the living room.

“Thanks…” Harley said.

Abbie joined him on his bed. “Are you leaving?”

Harley nodded.

“Good… Wait that sounded bad. I mean that’s good you can get away.”

Harley cracked a small smile. “You should come with me.”

Abbie shook her head. “Mom needs me.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s back in rehab… She had a relapse last night.”

“So you’re going to be alone with that asshat?”

“I’m gonna stay with a friend until mom’s home. Then we’re gonna find a place.”

For a 13-year-old, Abbie was incredibly mature. It made Harley a bit sad that her childhood was cut short. She had to grow up fast.

“I gonna miss you Abs,” Harley said.

“I’ll come visit you in New York.”

Harley nodded and pulled her into a tight hug. He couldn’t stop his eyes from watering.

“We’re gonna be ok,” Abbie said once they pulled away.

Harley nodded again. 

Abbie sat on the floor of his bedroom and they both did their homework in silence. They were both unknowingly comforting each other just by being in the same room.

After about an hour Harley had a realization. “Abbie, can I use your phone?”

She nodded and slid it into his hand. He slowly opened his window and slid out onto the roof. He sat there in the cold and called Tony.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tony’s phone rang. Peter picked it up and checked the caller ID. It was a random number. He felt inclined to answer. So he raised the phone to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Parker!” Harley whispered.

“Harley! Oh my god, are you ok?”

“Put it on speaker!” Mr. Stark said.

“Tony! Are you on your way?” Harley asked. He felt like crying just hearing his voice. Escape was so near.

“Yea we’re just about 3 hours away. How you been?” Tony answered.

“I’m fine. He took my phone though.”

“What did you build a new one?” Tony asked.

“No this is Abbie’s phone.”

“Is she coming with us?” Peter asked.

“No, she’s staying with a friend.”

Tony nodded. “Just try to stay out of trouble. Call me if anything goes wrong ok?”

“Yea,” Harley was sad the conversation was over.

“See you soon kid,” Tony said.

“See you soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harley slid back into his bedroom and closed the window. He deleted the call history from Abbie’s phone and returned to his essay. 

After another hour, John walked passed. He spotted Abbie in Harley’s room.

“Harley’s grounded,” He said catching both of their attention.

They both looked at each other confused.

“That means he’s alone to think about what he’s done.” 

“What? That’s bullshit!” Abbie said. “You’re just looking for reasons to be mad at him!”

“You watch your mouth! Now get back to your own room. Don’t make me say it again.”

“Abbie it’s fine,” Harley said.

Abbie angrily collected her homework and left.

“And you…” John said. “You’ve caused enough trouble. You leave her alone. You’ll rub off on her.”

“She’s not the problem. I am. It was my fault.”

“You think I don’t know that boy? You think I’m stupid.”

Harley couldn’t help but laugh. Because he really did think John was stupid. The man couldn’t hold down a job. He dropped out of high school to play poker.

John sadly heard Harley’s laugh. “What are you laughing at? You think I’m stupid? I can show you, stupid kid!”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Harley said.

“Then how did you mean it?”

Harley had no clue how to answer that question without making him mad. Unfortunately, his hesitation was enough of an answer. John growled and approached him. Harley raised his arms up defensively. John just grabbed his wrists and yanked him to his feet.

He threw Harley at the wall and held him in the police hold again. He pulled Harley’s arm so tightly He thought it was breaking. Harley yelled in pain. 

“Abbie!” Harley yelled. 

John pulled Harley’s arm higher and Harley yelped. 

“You shut your fucking mouth. I’m sick of your bullshit!”

Harley couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped his body. 

John laughed. “You pathetic. You’re asking your 13-year-old sister for help. What’s she gonna do? Try to cover for you again?”

“Let me go!” Harley shouted.

“What the fuck did I just say? Shut up.”

Harley shut his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. He silently prayed Abbie was on the phone with Tony.

“I know you called someone for help. But, you’re not going anywhere. I don’t give a fuck who they are. You’re staying here.”

“I didn’t call anyone,” Harley felt sick. He couldn’t stay there another minute. He was praying Tony would burst in and kick John’s ass.

“Don’t try to bullshit me! I know you. You can’t trick me!”

“You don’t know shit about me!” 

“If you don’t shut the fuck up I’ll break your arm. I swear to god.”

Harley shut his mouth. He just had to wait for anyone to help. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abbie jumped at the sound of Harley screaming. She froze in shock until she heard him shout for her. She wanted to run in and save him. But she was no match for John. Instead, she grabbed her phone and called Tony. She silently praised herself for saving his number when he called her last.

“Hello?” A voice said on the other line.

“Is this Tony?” Abbie whispered.

“Yea what’s going on?”

“Harley’s in trouble. Are you almost here?”

“We’re just entering Rosehill…” Tony said.

“We don’t have enough time…” Another voice said.

Abbie looked around nervously.   
“Let me go!” Harley screamed from the other room.

Abbie heard tires screech on the other line. She hoped they were almost there. She wasn’t sure how long Harley could last.

“Stay on the line, Abbie. We’re almost there,” Tony said. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You wanna fuck with me I’ll fuck with you back!” John roared.

Harley attempted to escape the same way he did earlier. But, John saw it coming. When Harley pushed off the wall, John shoved him back against it and tugged his arm as hard as he could. Harley screamed and collapsed. John just let him drop to his knees. 

Harley clutched his arm in pain. He blinked a few times in attempts to regain his vision.

“You made me do that. I told you I would.”

Harley didn’t respond. He just groaned in pain. 

Once he regained his breath, he slowly stood. 

“You really want me to kick your ass again?” John asked.

“Go fuck yourself,” Harley’s self-preservation instincts were thrown out the window. All hope of escape was gone. For all he knew Tony was still three hours away.

John grabbed Harley by the coat and punched him in the face. Then again. And again. And again.

Harley tasted metal in his mouth. John let go of his collar and let him slump against the wall.

John left the room with a loud slam of the door. Harley coughed and opened his eyes. Abbie was kneeling beside him.

“He’s awake!” She shouted.

“We’re pulling into the driveway now. Where’s John?” Tony’s voice said over her phone. 

Harley felt his ears ringing. The room was too bright. The voices were too loud. He groaned and tried to turn away. His entire left side screamed in pain. He groaned and stopped moving.

“Hey just relax ok? Tony is here!” Abbie said.  
As if it were clockwork, there was a knock on the front door. Harley heard John groan and open the door. A familiar voice made him smile. 

Tony talked to John for a moment until the bedroom door opened. Harley saw Peter shoosh him and Abbie. Harley could’ve cried. He was finally safe. Peter and Abbie helped Harley to his feet and helped him walk quietly down the hallway toward the bathroom. Just as they reached the door, Peter was grabbed and yanked backward. Abbie couldn’t hold Harley herself so they both fell.

John grabbed Peter by the back of the neck and threw him into the nearby wall. He landed headfirst and took a moment to recover. But, luckily he did before John could get too close to Harley and Abbie. Peter jumped onto John’s back and pulled him away from the others. John roared and threw Peter off. Thankfully, Peter had bought Abbie and Harley enough time to sneak through the bathroom window and hopefully into Mr. Stark’s car

John didn’t seem happy about their swift escape. He turned to face Peter. He ran towards him and prepped his fist. Peter caught it mid-swing. John stared with wide eyes at the seemingly weak child. Peter couldn’t hold back a smile as he used his free arm to throw the strongest punch he could. John was out instantly. Peter ran to the window and jumped down onto the roof of the car. He slid down onto the pavement and into the back seat with Harley. Abbie took shotgun. 

“Mr. Stark we’re good,” Peter said to Tony in the driver’s seat. 

Harley saw John running towards the car. He was fuming. 

“Drive!” Peter screamed and Tony put the car in reverse. They whipped out of the driveway and onto the street. Tony changed to forward and sped off. Harley groaned at the sudden pain in his arm from the unexpected motion. 

“Hey, kid how you feeling?” Tony asked from the front seat.

“Never better. How bout you old man?” Harley groaned.

“Nearly had 18 heart attacks in the last 7 hours,” Tony replied. He sounded like he meant it.

“I’m sorry,” Harley said.

“Kid if anyone’s sorry here it’s me… I sent you back here. I should’ve listened to you,” Tony sighed.

“I should’ve told you,” Harley said.

“We’ll deal with who’s at fault late ok?” Tony said looking at him in the rearview mirror.

Harley nodded and leaned his head back against the seat. He didn’t open his eyes until he heard Abbie saying goodbye.

“I would hug you but… I don’t want to mess up your arm.” She sniffled.

“Bye Abs,” Harley smiled.

“I’ll visit you soon. And I’ll bring mom too.”

Harley nodded. “Stay safe ok?”

Abbie gave him and watery smile and put her hand on his knee. And then she was gone. Before Harley knew it, they were on the highway. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter stayed in the backseat with Harley just in case. Though Harley fell asleep quickly. He ended up laying across the seat and resting his head on Peter’s leg. He must’ve been exhausted. Peter had been in Harley’s shoes before. Though not for the same reasons. 

The ride back to New York was quiet. Peter fell asleep for most of it. When he awoke, it was light out. And they were surrounded by the familiar tall buildings. They were back in the city. Harley was still asleep on Peter’s leg. 

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” Tony said glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Peter said stretching his sore neck.

“It’s fine you needed it.”

They arrived at the tower a few minutes later. Peter gently woke Harley and helped him out of the car. It was a slow process. Thankfully Dr. Cho was ready for them in the garage with a gurney. They wheeled him into the elevator and Peter didn’t see Harley again for the rest of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! Life stuff is in the way but, I'll upload more hopefully soon:)

Harley had spent the night in the med bay. He wasn’t really sure why. Once he had gotten his shoulder reset, and his face stitched up, he was fine. Cho was worried that he might’ve had a concussion. So, when he woke up the next morning, he was surprised to see Tony typing on his phone on the chair beside his bed. 

“You are so cliche,” Harley said rolling his eyes. But, he couldn’t deny the fact that he glad Tony was there.

“How you feeling?” Tony ignored Harley’s jab as usual.

“Peaches and cream old man.”

Tony grinned. “You got one more check-up with Cho before you can move into your own room.”

Harley nodded.

“I’m sorry,” Tony said. “I should’ve listened to you. I knew you didn’t want to go back. I should’ve pulled some strings with your mom.”

“Can we not talk about this right now?” Harley said staring at the ceiling.

“I think we should.”

“It’s fine Tony. I’m fine.”

“Kid-” Tony stopped as Cho walked in.

“Hello Harley, we’re gonna do our final checkup, and then hopefully you’ll be ready for discharge. Mr. Stark, you can talk to him after.”

Tony nodded and quickly left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter woke with a start. His nightmares were getting worse. He sat up and steadied his breathing. After a few minutes, he managed to untangle himself from his blankets and take a cold shower. The dream played over and over in his head. He should’ve been used to it by then. But, no matter how often he got nightmares, they always messed with him.

By the time he got into the kitchen, Mr. Stark was sitting at the breakfast bar. His head was buried in a cup of coffee. It was probably his eighth today. The steam enveloped his face. Peter couldn’t read his expression. Peter felt slightly comforted with the familiar sight. Though, Mr. Stark did look more tired than usual. 

Peter didn’t say anything. He just sat on the stool beside Mr. Stark and rested his head on the cold counter. 

“You feeling alright kid?” Mr. Stark rested his hand on Peter’s shoulder.

Peter hummed in response. He didn’t feel that his issues were the most important at the moment. “Tired.”

Mr. Stark cracked a small smile. “You and me both kid.”

“How’s Harley doing?” Peter decided it best to change the subject.

“He’s getting his last checkup,” Tony said with a sigh.

“What? You don’t think he’ll be ok?” 

“No, he’ll be fine.”

“Then what was with the sigh?”

“It’s nothing kid don’t worry about it,” He took a long sip of his coffee. “What did your aunt say about you missing school today?”

“I uh… I didn’t tell her much...”

“What did you say?”

“I uhh. I texted her. Not about Tennessee though. Or missing school… So not much.”

Tony finally raised his head from his coffee and looked at him for the first time.

“I’m gonna call her I promise!” Peter said before Tony could get a word out. “I just didn’t know what to say…”

Tony wiped his hand across his face and groaned. “FRIDAY? Any missed calls?”

“You have 37 missed calls from May Parker.”

Peter shrunk slightly in his seat.

“I told you if you wanted to come you had to deal with your aunt…” 

“I didn’t have time!”

“We drove for 28 hours!”

“I’ll deal with it I promise.”

“If I get an angry call I’m blaming you,” His voice didn’t match his words. Peter could hear the smile in his voice.

“Yea I know.”

Peter heard a beeping sound from Tony’s watch.

“Harley’s out,” He said rising from the stool and shoving it back into place. “Call your aunt.”

And with that, he left. Peter groaned and slid off his stool. He flopped face-first onto the couch and pulled out his phone. He had 87 missed calls from May. It was fair. He had disappeared for over a day. He dialed her number and she picked up almost instantly.

“Peter Benjamin Parker you better have a good excuse!” she shouted.

Peter cringed. He knew it was bad when she used his full name.

“Before you get mad-”

“Too late.”

“I was helping Mr. Stark!”

“Uh-huh, and why couldn’t you answer your phone?”

“I didn’t have service!”

“Why?” 

“I was… In Tennessee…” Peter mumbled.

“What?” She didn’t sound angry as much as confused. She probably thought it was a really dumb made-up excuse.

“I was helping Mr. Stark with a thing in Tennessee…”

It was silent for a moment.

“I’m not lying I promise.”

“What were you doing in Tennessee?”

“We were helping Harley. You met him he was at the apartment. He was in trouble.”

May sighed deeply. “Another stunt like this and you’re grounded ok? I’m going to trust you this once. But, If you disappear again I’m hunting you down myself.”

“You’re the best May,” Peter said in relief.

“Is Harley ok?”

“I think so yea. Look, can we talk about this when I get home?”

“Ok just be home before curfew. Love you,”

“Yea. Love you,” Peter replied.

Peter lowed the phone and took a deep breath. He really didn’t deserve May. She had really eased up since she discovered he was Spider-man. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Harley was leaving the med bay, Tony somehow materialized beside him. It was weird how he could do that. Harley just rolled his eyes and tried to suppress the smile that was spreading across his face.

“Awe did you miss me?” Tony said in a baby voice.

“No, but I know you missed me,” Harley said.

“I did miss you kid,” Tony said seriously. He nudged Harley’s good shoulder playfully and the two made their way to the kitchen. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” Harley said plopping onto the nearest stool.

“Pizza? Pete, you want pizza?” Tony said toward what Harley thought was an empty couch. 

But, it wasn’t empty. Because suddenly, Peter’s head popped up from behind the backrest.

“Pepperoni please!” He said excitedly.

“I’m cool with pepperoni,” Harley said.

Tony nodded and left the room to order.

It was silent for a while. Harley had no clue what to say. He felt horrible for making Peter drive all the way to Tennessee. But, at the same time, he was pissed at him for forcing him back there. 

“I’m sorry…” Peter said poking his head up from behind the couch.

“Huh?” Harley responded. He knew what Peter said. But, his brain hadn’t caught up.

“I didn’t know why you didn’t want to go back. But, I should’ve listened to you…”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Harley said. “I didn’t tell you anything so it’s not your fault.”

“I’m also sorry you had to go through that.”

Harley didn’t respond. He just nodded.

“Can I ask you a question?” Harley said.

“Sure.”

“How did you fight John off? He’s like three times your size.”

“I uhh… I take boxing lessons,” Peter said quickly. Too quickly. Harley was sure he was lying. But, he let it go. He didn’t feel like talking about it.

“Seriously, Harley I’m really sorry. If you ever want to talk to someone…”

“I’d rather not,” Harley said quickly. He wished he could just skip passed the guilt and shit and just move on. It would be so much easier.

“Listen. I know how you’re feeling right now. And I just want you to know-”

“Parker! It’s fine. No need for offering help or whatever,” Harley was internally screaming. He just wanted Peter to shut up and never have to face him ever again.

“Ok… Sorry,” Peter said disappearing behind the couch.

Harley felt guilty for brushing Peter off so quickly. But, in his defense, he really didn’t want to talk about it. Still, it was difficult not to feel bad. Harley was going to apologize, but, Tony walked in.

“Alright pizza in thirty minutes. You guys wanna wait in the lab? I’ve got some stuff I wanna show you!” Tony was grinning wider than Harley had ever seen before.

Harley was about to agree. But, Peter got off the couch and half-walked-half ran out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Harley heard a door close quietly.

“What’s going on with Peter?” Tony asked after a moment.

Harley shrugged. He felt awful now. But, the last thing he wanted was for Tony to know what he said.

Tony rolled his eyes and patted Harley on the shoulder. “I’ll meet you downstairs ok?”

Harley nodded and went for the elevator. He really hoped he didn’t screw everything up again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter sat on his bed and wiped his face with his hands. How was it that he managed to screw everything up already? He regretted prying. He just wished he could’ve just shut up and everything would’ve been fine.

He groaned and lay back onto the bed. 

“Hey, kid. Can I come in?” Mr. Stark said knocking at the door.

Peter mumbled incoherently from behind his palms.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Mr. Stark said slowly creaking the door open and slipping in. He sat gently beside Peter and lay back onto the bed with him. “What’s happening in there?” He tapped gently on Peter’s head.

“Harley really doesn’t like me,” Peter sighed releasing his face from his hands.

“I don’t-”

“No really. He really really doesn’t like me. Any time I try to talk to him he just brushes me off.”

“Harley’s just that way. It takes him a bit longer to trust people.”

“It’s not that he doesn’t trust me. He just hates me.”

“Give him another chance. He’s been through a lot this week.”

Peter sighed deeply. “Yea, you’re right…”

“You just gotta find something you guys have in common. How about the lab? You’re both WizKids.” 

Peter couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “I haven’t heard the word WizKid since middle school.”

Tony laughed and sat up. “C’mon Wizkid, I got some projects for you.”

Peter grinned and followed Mr. Stark down to the lab.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello! So... this is awkward. I really don't like this fic. So, I decided to start fresh. I realized my greatest pitfall was I was focusing on plot development instead of character development. And you can see that a lot in my previous works too. So, I'm really trying to work on that. That's why I'm starting fresh! The first chapter is already up! so you can go read it now. The new work is called Let's Try This Again. But, I might change the title later. This might be a difficult work for me since I'm really trying to slow the plot down and focus on the characters so hopefully, I upload chapter two soon. So, go read it!

P.S. I'm sorry I disappeared for like two months. I had major writer's block.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Run Boy Run](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240517) by [Itbelikethatsometimes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itbelikethatsometimes/pseuds/Itbelikethatsometimes)




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